Thicker Than Blood
by TheGallowayGirls
Summary: *With the first taste of his blood, I know three things. First, his skin is shockingly soft. Second, his scent is remarkably wonderful. And lastly, he is mine.* Vampires, were-things, love, and lots of supernatural stuff.
1. Howl Academy

_Kandice: Alright! Our first story! And it's an AU about vampires and were-thingummys!_

_Kassidy: You mean werewolves?_

_Kandice Noooo. Not just werewolves. Were-cats, and were-deer, and were-foxes, too!_

_Kassidy: Shut up before I shut you up. Let me handle this. Okay? Here goes. This is a supernatural romance of the 3x4x3 type, so if you don't like boys on boys, then get out now. We will call pilot 03 Triton, because the real Trowa Barton's going to play a part in this story. Support pairings are 2xHilde, 5xSally, and 1xR._

_Kandice: Please, keep reading. Don't let that scare you off._

_Kassidy: Zip it, shorty!_

_Kandice: Hey! You're just as short as me!_

_Kassidy: Anyways, Triton is our hero, along with Quatre. The bad guy is He...._

_Kandice: Don't tell them that! They might not read it!_

_Kassidy: If you don't scare them off first..._

_Kandice: I heard that. And by the by, me'n' Kass don't own anything except the dust bunnies under my bed. We don't own Gundam Wing, and technically we don't even own this plot bunny._

_Kassidy: It was borrowed with loving permission from a friend, and if you're still here.... well, I hope you enjoy this!_

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**Thicker Than Blood**

**Chapter One**

**Howl Academy**

My sister is an idiot.

That's the only simple way to put it. Well, technically she's not my sister. She's my sire. Um... yeah. Maybe I should mention the fact that I am a twenty three year old vampire. Catherine pretty much saved my life the summer after my seventeenth birthday, after I took a tumble from the high wire.

Um... yeah. Maybe I should also mention the fact that I am an orphan and I grew up in a traveling European circus. Cathy was the one to raise me. It never even really dawned on me to ask why she never seemed to age a day over twenty one. Until the highwire, that is.

But really, that's all another story. Back to what I was saying.

My sister is an idiot.

And that's why I was standing in the main office of Howl Academy. The special thing about Howl Academy is that the faculty and student body is completely made up of were-creatures. People that turn into animals at will. For two centuries almost, Howl Academy has been exclusive to were's.

Until now.

When Sylvia Noventa, the head mistress and the woman currently sitting in front of me, decided to accept vampires into their midst as both students and teachers, the decision hadn't gone over really well. No vampire in their right mind would send their charge into the midst of a bunch of 'mongrels' as many vampire's called them.

Except _my_ guardian, of course.

"You're class schedule, Mr. Bloom," Ms. Noventa said, handing me the slip of paper. It was common knowledge that Ms. Noventa was a white doe when she transformed, and despite the fact that she was a were, I found myself liking her grudgingly.

Looking at the list, I noticed that I had Astronemy, a favorite subject of mine, PE, and some course called 'History of the Clans' among the others.

"Due to the... special.... circumstances of your enrollment, we've decided to have you room with Duo Maxwell. Duo has an amazing capacity for acceptance, and unlike some he holds no prejudices. And unfortunately, you will find many people here who will not like you. I am being honest. It is a shame that our people are so closed-minded. Hopefully, you will be the start of a change among our kind. Now, I suggest you retire to your room to rest. You will be excused from class today, but tomorrow, I expect you at your classes on time."

She handed him another piece of paper with directions to his room on it, and nodded her blonde head in a way that clearly said he was dismissed. He started to turn, and was halfway through the door when he was met with a familiar smell. A smell he didn't expect to find here.

The tall woman in the doorway had blond braids that reached past her ears, and just past her shoulders. She was curvy, but strong in build, and her slate gray eyes twinkled. She looked to be in her mid twenties, though I knew her better than that. Her body was actually nineteen... and she herself was closer to three hundred.

"Sally?"

I never would have expected her here.

She smiled at me.

"Triton, right? Wufei's friend."

I nodded, and she clapped me on the shoulder.

"Good to see a familiar face. Maybe I'll have you in my class."

"Class?"

"Yes. The invitation was for faculty as well as students. I'm the new Health Ed teacher."

"I've got that. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Third block."

"Good. Now, I need to speak with Miss Noventa, so... if you'll excuse me..."

"Nice to see you again, Miss Sally," I said before I finished leaving. It was unexpected she was here, but not surprising if you knew her. Sally Po was curious and adventurous and brave... scarily so in each account. And she was my best friend, Chang Wufei's, girlfriend. Um, well, what do you call someone who is your soul mate but half the time you couldn't stand to be around? Everyone knew that the three decades old teenager loved the older (much, much older) blond woman. Everyone also knew that feeling was reciprocated ten-fold. And it was also common knowledge that most of the time, they annoyed each other to no end. I'm guessing that this is another one of their numerous 'seperations'. I give it three months top before Wufei shows up.

Oddly enough, seeing Sally comforts me, and I am not as attentive as I should be as I make my way through the aged, almost gothic style building. Therefore, I am surprised when a little girl steps in front of me.

I blink. Once. Twice.

She's about thirteen or so. Petite and small, with short curly red hair and large round amber eyes.(1) She may have been cute or something, if not for the sneer curling at her lips and crinkling her eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Hello," I said, knowing this was not going well.

"Hi, blood-sucker," she sneered. "Now why don't you say 'bye' and leave this place?"

"Not my choice, _pup_," I snarled back. I didn't know if she was a 'pup' or not. She could have been a kitten... or a faun.... or a cub.... or something. Her eyes narrowed in detest.

"My sister made me," I say. "If I had my way, I'd be long gone by now."

That sneer deepened.

"Then maybe we should help you set some priorities," she growled sweetly. A blond appeared beside her. Tall, lithe with long hair and cloudy gray eyes.

"Maia, are we going to torture the boy?"

She was a few years older than the other girl.

"Of course not, Dorothy. Me, you, Otto, and Trant will simply use gentle persuasion."

Both grinned wickedly, and I was aware of two more weres appearing behind me, and another few with the girls.

Damn. Outnumbered. This was not going to end well.

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_Kassidy: End chapter one._

_Kandice: Review for us, please? We've never done this before._

_Kassidy: Quit your yammering._

_Kandice: Ignore the bossy one. Next time.... we find out how the 'gentle persuasian' goes._

_Kassidy: Oh, and that little note, (1). We don't remember, but we're pretty sure that Marimaia's eyes were blue, not brown. It's just that... did you ever notice that EVERYONE in Gundam Wing has blue eyes? Except for Trowa and Wufei. I mean, just look at it. Heero, Duo, Quatre, Relena, Zechs, Noin, Sally, Dorothy... the list goes on. So, this is a judicious edit to keep everyone from having the same color eyes._

_Kandice: Yeah, what she said. Now... go reveiw! Please?_


	2. Clique

Kandice: Yay! Back with chapter two!

Kassidy: Previously, Triton was cornered by a group of were's against vampires. Now... to find out what happens...

Kandice: And remember, we own nothing

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Thicker Than Blood

Chapter Two

Clique

I was surrounded, outnumbered.... this was not going to end well.

The weres were closing in, smirks plastered on their faces. And that's when I saw it, a flash of chestnut, red, and black.

"Hold it right there, mutt," someone spat, planting themselves between me and the majority of my would-be assailants.

"Move your scrawny ass, Maxwell," Dorothy hissed.

"Two things, bitch. One... No I will not move. And Two... my ass is perfectly fine, thank you very much."

I blinked, trying to peer at my savior from under my bangs. He's kind of average in height, maybe a little taller. And he is slender... though not scrawny. He wore the black uniform of Howl Academy well. And his hair... was almost as long as the girl Dorothy's. It fell in a warm braid down his back, past his waist.

Maxwell. Hmm... could this be the open-minded roommate Miss Noventa mentioned?

"Very well then, dog. We'll teach you a lesson or two as well."

"And you'll teach me, too, Miss Catalonia?"

This voice was new. A light tenor that rang with authority even as it comforted the ears. I cast my eyes around to find the new newcomer. The group of would-be attackers parted, and a blond boy walked into the ring. He was just a few inches shorter than me, which was kind of amazing, since I'm pretty damn tall by any standards. His frame was lean, willowy, and his face is serene and angelic. But those eyes... blue, I think, maybe with a little green in there... snapped furiously.

I was almost a little surprised that Dorothy backed away so quickly.

"Quatre," she half hissed, half gasped.

He nodded simply. "Yes. That is my name. Now, if you and your friends would excuse me, I'd like to talk to my two friends in private."

Two friends? Was he including me as well as Maxwell?

Marimaia sneered. "So you're going to defend the vampires, Winner?"

"I am going to defend an unarmed student that was about to be attacked for something as inconsequential as race or religion."

"Fine," she snapped. "Take your little pet and go." The turned on her heel ans stalked off, the others behind her.

I looked from their backs to the blond, Quatre. He looked me over, then simply crooked a finger in the universal language for 'come' as he walked off in another direction. I stood rooted to the spot.

"Buddy. When Quat says come... you better follow," the braided boy whispered to me.

"Huh?"

"Listen. He'll probably tell you the same thing, but at normal high schools, you've got jocks, geeks, preps, goths... all those different little groups? Well, Howl is split into only two. Good and Evil, sort of. Good guys are those like me, we're pretty progressive and open-minded. Then the bad guys are the conservatives. They don't want anything to change, wanna follow the old code. Shit like that.

"And Quatre Winner's pretty much the leader of the good guys... so when he says follow, you follow, get it?" And he pushed me literally down the hall after the blond. With little choice left, since Maxwell was practically pushing me, I followed. The boys both in front and behind of me remained silent for the entire trip, until we stopped at the door of a dorm. Room 404.

And it was kind of surprising when the blond... Quatre, I reminded myself... sighed, nearly collapsing forward into the room.

"Duo... Can you wait outside? I'd like to talk to him, but I don't want him to try to find his way back alone."

"Sure thing, Quat." The chestnut haired boy grinned, and flashed a silver cell phone. "I'll let Hilde and the other's know the situation."

Quatre nodded, and Duo Maxwell left the room, closing the door behind him. It really is a tastefully decorated room. There's a bed directly opposite the large, open window. It's done in warm browns and earthy tones, with lots of white and cream. From the bedspread to the oak dresser and desk. There's a large chest under the window, and Quatre sits there, motioning to the chair by the desk. I sit, not really knowing what else to do.

"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner," he smiles. He really does look like an angel when he smiles like that. And it's such a more natural expression than the stony coldness he's given to Marimaia and Dorothy. "I'm so sorry we had to meet like that, but unfortunately... Marimaia Kushrenada and her clique are the epitome of racism... at least between were's and vampires. I hope you don't let their prejudices taint your opinion of all weres here at Howl."

"Of course not," I protest. I usually try not to show emotion... and I rarely talk much. The only purpose this seems to cause, though, is to make it so that when I do talk, I stumble and mutter and trip over the words. "You and... Duo?... you both stuck up for me. So, that means that at least the two of you aren't prejudice... unless, of course you just want to lure me into a false sense of comfort and the...." I blink, looking at the utterly beautiful smile on his face. He laughs.

"Um...." I gulp. "I'm going to shut up now."

He laughs even harder, and waves a hand at me elegantly.

"You're cute," he says at last. "Too cute. I don't see why anyone wouldn't like you. But don't count on making very many friends here."

"Surely everyone isn't against vampires?" I question.

This draws a small frown/smile from him. How can someone frown and smile at the same time? He can. A little wrinkle creases his forehead.

"No, not everyone. But... I'd still feel better if you didn't wander the school alone. I'm sure that me and Duo can't be with you always, but I'd feel better if either of us were with you."

This makes me smile wryly. "I would, too," I admit honestly.

"Good. And..." he blinks at me. "I don't even know your name," he states.

"Triton," I reply. "Triton Bloom. When... When that Dorothy girl called me your 'pet'... what did she mean?"

Quatre shrugged lightly. "Just a saying. Used to, marking was a way of claiming territory amongst our kind. Someone that was marked was referred to as a 'pet' as a derrogatory term. I think she meant it more as vampires are a lesser being than weres. I am sorry for that."

"No apology needed," I reply. "At least, not from you."

He grins again. I think I like making him smile.

"I'd like for you to stick around by me, Abdul or Duo. At least with Hilde or Felinya or someone. I'd hate to see what would happen if you were caught out alone." He stood, and walked to the door. Surprisingly, when he opened it, I didn't immidiately see Duo. Then he stepped into my line of sight. I noticed his face for the first time. Heart shaped, with a slightly crooked nose, as if it had been broken before. And very dark blue eyes. They seemed indigo, or cobalt. Almost purple.

And he didn't look very happy.

"I got ahold of Abdul and Kitty. Things aren't looking so well."

Quatre sighed, probably knowing exactly what Duo was talking about. The brunette walked into the room, and Quatre shut the door again.

"Kitty says Otto and Trant are waiting by the hallway to my dorm. They're not going to give in easy."

"Kitty?" I hazard a question. Really, between these two, that's probably the least of my concerns, but it's the question that comes out anyway.

"Felinya Addams," Duo says by way of explanation. It's Quatre who clarifies even more.

"Her parents are both feline weres- Persian and Ocelot. They thought it was a pretty much a safe bet she'd be a feline, too. Hence the name Felinya."

"Betcha they lot money on that one," Duo muttered. Quatre grinned, but seeing my confusion, he clarified even more.

"Felinya turned out to be a canine."

"Labrador," Duo laughed. "Cute, though."

"We all call her Kitty, because it's shorter than Felinya and as a joke."

"Can we get back to the matter at hand, though?" Duo sobered up quickly. "'Cause I don't think I can get our pal here... um, what's ya name, buddy?"

"Triton," I supplied.

"Like I said, I don't think I can get Triton here back to the room without trouble. Only you could do that, Quat."

It occured to me that they must have known I was Duo's new roomate... because I certainly hadn't mentioned it.

"I can't stay here all night," I offered. "I think I'd rather take my chances out there."

"Nothing doing," Quatre said. "I won't have that!"

"He's gotta point, Quat. Those conservative wannabes... they stick to the old code. And the old code says that the vamps are the bad guys and that Howl Academy should be kept 'clean'."

"That code is outdated and arcane. Someone needs to take it and shove it in their faces," he spat vehemently.

Duo blinked. "Wait... back up. Now that's an idea. Use their code against them."

"How, pray tell, are we to do that?" Quatre demanded, hands on hips. He's really got the mood swing thing going on. He's worse than Cathy. Wasn't he smiling a moment ago?

"Hmm... Think 'bout it, Quat. What's a way that a person can have guaranteed protection by anyone following the code? A way that you can actually be with him, without being with him? Something even the most conservative, strict teachers here would have to abide by?"

Quatre sighed, closing his eyes. Another abrupt swing in mood. I think he might give me whiplash.

"Duo... you are frustrating me," he sighed. "I don't know. My mind's not working right,not right now. Now tell me, how can I keep the other students from bothering Triton?"

They've got that whole talking about me like I'm not there thing down to an art. But luckily, I don't really mind. It's actually quite fascinating to watch.

Duo grinned like the proverbial cat who ate the proverbial canary. (For all I know, he could be an actual cat. Or... he might be the bird.)

"Easy," Duo shrugged. "Claim him. They can't mess with him if he's yours, now can they?"

tbc....

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Kassidy: Sorry bout the ending.

Kandice: This chapter ended up really, really long. And we simply couldn't find a good breaking point.

Kassidy: Hence the awkward cliffhanger type deal. Next chapter you'll find out what the hell Duo's talking about.

Kandice: And sorry about the tense changing from present to past all the time. Like we said... we're not good at the writing thing. But plus, how many teenagers... vampire or not... do you know that always think in the correct tenses?

Kassidy: We will try to correct that problem, but if you spot any inconsistencies, then please ignore them. We don't believe they affect the story that much, but we will strive to fix it. And Triton might seem a bit OOC, but it's AU. The things that happened to shape the pilot Zero Three in the cannon have not happened, so OOCness is expected. Just another tiny reason we've used the name Triton and not Trowa. But we'll see more of the traditional personality later on. We'll see ALOT of stuff later on.

Kandice: And yes, we did borrow the whiplash line from the Twilight movie. So... it's not ours, even if we tweaked it a bit. And please, please, please... if you've taken the time to read all of this... then take another two seconds to leave a review. It's highly appreciated. Even a single word or two is much loved.


	3. Claimed

Kandice: We don't own Gundam Wing. The only payment we receive for doing this is our reveiws.

Kassidy: Your enjoyment and ours are the only reasons we write.

Kandice: And so, without further ado, here's the next chapter....

**Chapter Three**

**Claimed**

Quatre's blue-green eyes snap open, and I'm pretty sure I made some kind of inarticulate questioning noise in surprise. What did that mean?

"No," Quatre said simply. "I will not."

"It's a good idea," Duo stated. "And it just might work, too."

"No. I will not do it. It's an archaic practice and it's simply... odd."

"But Quat, it might be your only shot. And just because it's old doesn't mean it doesn't work. And odd or not, Hilde and I still do it. As do Heero and Relena. Hell, even uptight Abdul does it."

"You're missing a key point here, Duo. You and Hilde are bonded. As are Heero and Relena. As are Abdul and Kitty. It's something only done within family. I will not do that to him."

"Um..." I start. "Can you please stop talking about me like I'm not here? It is a little annoying. And since I don't speak 'were', I have no idea what you're talking about."

They both blink at me, as if just remembering I'm still sitting there. At least I have their attention now.

"First off... what are you talking about?"

"Marking, claiming, scenting," Duo shrugged. "It's got alotta names. Some more complex than others. But it all means that he marks you with his scent. It's a real old practice, but everyone still follows it. If someone's marked by someone else's scent, you don't mess with them. Especially if that someone else is more powerful than you. Scent is one of those weird were things. You know who it is by smelling them."

I thought about this. It was... odd, like Quatre said. But if it could keep those... bullies... away from me, then it deserved a little more looking into.

"Alright. Point made, Duo," I said. "Now, Quatre, if you please?"

He sighed. He could tell I was trying to mediate between the too. I could see the tiny gears turning in his head. He graced me with a look that let me know he was annoyed with it and touched at the same time.

"It's only practiced among close family and bond-mates. Mothers do it to their children to protect them. Husbands do it to their wives to stake their claims over them."

"In old days," Duo interrupted, "Rogue weres would mark their prey so no one else would mess with them."

Quatre and I both shudder. That's just barbaric.

"But it's not a given that this would even work," Quatre points out.

"And it's not a given that it won't," Duo reasoned logically.

"I don't like the idea of going through with a plan that has so many 'what if's" I stat.

Duo shrugged. "We can test it out. Those dweebs are waiting on you, so... I say let Quatre mark you and see what happens. The rest of us can be close enough to help if anything goes wrong."

That was so simple that it just might work, I thought.

"Just one more question," I said. "Why Quatre? Why not someone else?"

Duo gave a Cheshire grin. "Quatre's only like one of the most powerful weres ever."

"An overstatement," Quatre assured me.

"Not by much," Duo added. "Quatre's mother was a dove, a third generation were. Her mother, and her mother's father had both been weres. Quatre's father is a timber-wolf, a second generation were. Add all that up, and you get a really, really strong shape-shifter. That makes Quatre a fourth generation were. There are only a handful of those around anyway, but with both of his parents having strong family histories... it's almost unprecedented."

I blink at the slender blond. Him? So powerful? Hn.

"It's nothing, really," Quatre insisted. "All that means is I'm able to hold my animal form a bit longer than others, that I retain more control and such. And Heero is just as strong as I am, though he has no family history at all."

"That we know of," Duo argued. "He could very well be a fourth generations just like you for all we know. He dosen't know his family, so even he couldn't tell you."

"Um... Can we please move this along," I interrupted. "I'd rather like to get settled into my own room sometime tonight."

Quatre sighed. "Fine. We'll go with Duo's plan. That is... if you agree?"

I nod. "Anything to keep my hide intact. Just tell me what to do."

Quatre laughed. "Nothing... just hold still for a moment."

He stalked over to where I sat, and leaned in. So close to my face, I could see every individual fleck of color in those blue and green eyes. The really are magnificent. Such a pure blue and a thin ring of green bleeding into it. From far off they seemed to blend into teal, but up this close... I could pick out every shimmery difference in the shades.

His breath washed over me, sweet and smelling faintly of chocolate. Yes... chocolate. I was quite worried for a moment, but he turned his head, and rubbed his cheek against my right one. The motion was repeated with my left cheek.

He drew back, and it wasn't until then that I noticed the faint blush tinting his skin. And I'm pretty sure that if I could blush, I would have.

"Duo," he said, turning around. "See if it works."

From across the room, Duo took one step forward, then grimaced.

"I could tell that mark from a mile away," he said. "No way will they be able to ignore _that_!"

It was only about fifteen minutes later that we tested Duo's assertion. I couldn't help the little shiver that ran down my spine as I walked knowingly into an ambush. Even with the knowledge that Quatre, Duo, and a few others were not far away, I was still very worried. These people would not hesitate to kill me, and certainly not hesitate to beat the shit out of me. It was ingrained in their belief system. I was the enemy.

I took a deep breath before rounding the corner into the hallway my dorm was located in. And there they were. Marimaia, Dorothy, Trant, Otto, and about two other's I didn't know the names of.

"Well, look at this," Marimaia said sweetly. "Our resident bloodsucker. Our last little chat got interrupted, so why don't we just start all over?"

I kept walking forward. Trant, Otto, and the other two males pushed away from the walls, coming towards me. Then they grimaced and looked confused.

"What's the problem, boys?" Maia demanded. She, too, took a step towards me, then paused. Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

"What's this?" She hissed.

Dorothy's eyes widened. "What... no. It can't be."

I resisted the urge to smirk. Good guys: One. Bad guys: Zero.

Maia took a menacing step forwards, obviously not daunted, but Dorothy's hand shot out and gripped her arm.

"No, Maia. We can't."

"The hell I can't," she hissed back.

"No. It's against our code."

"He's marked," Trant said dumbly. "By Winner, no less. We can't do a damn thing."

Maia scowled at me. "You can't be marked all the time. One day, you'll be without your silly little master and his damnable tricks... and then I'll have your head on a platter, bloodsucker."

I smile as sweetly as I can and keep my voice light. "One day, you'll bite off more than you can chew. And one day you'll be without your little servants... and then I'll have _your_ head on a platter, mutt."

Maia screeched indignantly and stormed away, face flush with anger. Trant, Otto and the two other males followed after. Dorothy cast a glance at me.

"Come on, Quatre. I know you're here somewhere."

Suddenly, Duo and Quatre appeared on either of my sides. Another three appeared behind me. A show of strength, I suppose.

"Miss Catalonia," Quatre said in a tone quite at odds with the way he's spoken to her earlier, during the first confrontation. It almost seemed respectful.

"I commend you on your ingenuity," she nodded. Her gray eyes sparkled with respect. Could there be something more to the way she backed down so quickly earlier?

"It was Duo's idea," Quatre said flippantly.

"Then he is to be applauded as well. You know me well enough to know that I will not break the code. As long as he has your scent, I'll abide by the code and not harm him. I cannot speak for the rest, though. And certainly not for Marimaia. The girl is a law unto herself as she's been much to spoiled by her grandfather. The other's are stupid, and of no consequence. But I needn't remind you that Heero, Relena, Marimaia, and Professor Septum are your worst adversaries at this school. You'd do well to keep one step ahead of them."

"I knew this already, but thank you for the warning."

"I've no doubt you'll win whatever battles arise, Quatre. Good luck and Blessed be, my friend."

"I am not your friend," Quatre replied. "Not yet. The offer still stands, though. Why stay with the side you know is going to lose? Why stand beside a spoiled little brat like Marimaia?"

Dorothy smiled sadly. "He's all I have left. If I go against my grandfather... then what family do I have left?"

"You'll have me," Quatre said. "You'll have all of us."

"Don't make me laugh, Winner," she laughed, back to the way she'd sounded earlier. "I'm right where I want to be for the moment. Now take your pet and go."

But it was she who turned and left. I turned to look at the three new additions to our numbers.

One was a short, dark haired pixie of a girl with wispy black hair cut in a short bob around her face. The second was a boy, probably a little older than Quatre and Duo, and with a well built body. He had dark brown hair and tanned skin and appeared to be from middle Eastern decent. This had to be Abdul, I thought. And the curvy hazel eyed girl clearly hanging off of his arm, a tall, busty blonde with a mass of bright gold curls pulled into a messy updo, must be 'Kitty'.

I smiled hesitantly at them, and Hilde and Kitty both beamed back, tossing an arm each around my shoulders as Kitty spoke in a bright, happy soprano.

"Welcome to the pack, Vamp Boy!"

tbc....

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Kassidy: Finally. It took us long enough, but we managed yet another chapter.

Kandice: We're actually updating alot more often than we thought we'd be able too. Funny that. And plus, this chapter is like waaaaaaaayyyyyyy long. For us, at least.

Kassidy: Anyways, keep an eye out for our next chapter. We're gonna find out about Rashid and how he ties in with all of this. And we'll meet 'Professor Septum', Heero and some others.

Kandice: And if you haven't guessed by now, Heero's the bad guy.

Kassidy: Shut up. They might not have known that!

Kandice: Oh, well. It'll just intrigue them enough to come back and read more, right? And maybe they'll even leave us some reviews, too!

Kassidy: That- in case you, our dear readers, didn't notice- was my sister's not so subtle hinting.


	4. Theory

Kassidy: Told you we weren't good with the whole writing thing. It takes us forever to update.

Kandice: Anyway, one of our pet peeves is authors who leave stories hanging for like... forever. As in years. So there is no way we'll do that. It might take us a month to get a chapter right... but we will eventually get it.

Kassidy: Like she said. Anyway, here is chapter four of Thicker Than Blood....

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Chapter Four

Theory

My new roommate, Duo, woke me bright and early the next morning. Barely as soon as I stumbled, still half asleep, from the shower we shared with the two next door, Quatre arrived. Both of my two new friends seemed to be ecstatically cheerful 'morning people'. After a quick discussion, Quatre repeated the process from the day before, rubbing his cheeks against mine. Duo 'okayed' the scent, then both accompanied me to my first class of the day, geometry.

I received a few... well, okay, alot of... odd looks from the students and teachers that first day. It was about half-way through the first semester, so any new kid was going to make news. But, of course, I had to be the first vampire to ever attend the all-were school. So... you can guess at my reception.

Most people simply ignored me and stayed away. I wasn't quite sure if this was simply because they were afraid of me or because of the big sign I must have had on my back that screamed 'Property of Quatre Winner'. A few of Maia's crowd tried to test the boundaries a back, but Duo or Quatre or someone was always there. But very few people were as chipper as my protectors. Few came up to me with the intent to just talk and be friends. And mostly this was because it seemed Hilde and Kitty liked me... and everyone loved those two.

And I was pretty lucky as far as classes went. I had five a day. In Geometry, I had Duo, Kitty and Quatre in my class. As well as Dorothy. In History, I had Quatre, Hilde, and Chrisina, one of Hilde's friends. This class was mercifully free of any of my 'enemies' as Duo termed them. Well, except for the teacher- Proffesor Septum. He seemed to dislike pretty much everyone, though. The next two classes I had Kitty in, but I also had a plethora of people who seemed to hate my guts. And my last class was Quatre, along with two people that Duo pointed out to me at lunch. Heero and Relena. Apparently they were more dangerous to me than Maia. But at least this class was taught by Sally Po. It was nice to know at least one person. And everyone loved Sally. Even those who didn't like vampires warmed up to her quickly. She was just that kind of person; the kind of person I'm not.

After classes that first day, I went back to Quatre's dorm to study. Since we had Geometry, History, and Health together, we agreed that we could help each other with the homeword assignments.

About an hour after we'd settled in, we were finished. I started in reading a book recommended by Kitty, and Quatre began working on something, some report it looked like. He had a stack of books, several sheets of paper, and an open laptop.

"Hey, Triton?"

"Hmm?"

"What's a Dhamphir?"

"huh?" I look up at him. What an odd question. "Why do you want to know about Dhamphirs? They're just myths." Myths, legends. Daywalkers. Just a bed-time story for young vampires.

"Here." He passed over a stack of the papers.

I began looking over it. As I read, my eyes widened a bit. "What is this?"

"A study I'm doing. We weres have our own stories, too. One of the more forgotten ones is the tale of Rashid and Aminet."

"Who?"

"Rashid was a vampire. Aminet was a were- a lioness to be exact. They fell in love."

"What does that have to do with the study of Dhamphirs?" I ask, my eyes perusing the papers, the gathered knowledge of daywalkers and other variations of vampires. What the hell was this all?

"Well, according to some of the versions I've heard, Rashid wound up drinking Aminet's blood, but not killing her. Together, they became stronger. According to on version, Rashid ended up a Daywalker. But Aminet was burned as a witch during the time of the Salem Witch fiasco, and not long after, Rashid died."

"And so... you're what? Wanting to find out what exactly?

"I'm trying to find the truth," he said simply. Aminet was one of my ancestors; I want to know the truth. Did she really fall in love with a vampire? Did these changes really happen? How? And why? Where'd the myth come from? I want to know these things."

I simply stared at him, then shrugged. He might seem a little crazy, but he was still my only protection in this zoo (Eh... no pun intended. Oh, alright. The pun was intended.)

I handed the paper's back, but then I thought that it might be interesting to know what he was after. It was a worthy ambition- to prove or disprove a myth.

I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Want some help?"

I was rewarded by a brilliant smile. Gods above, that smile is beautiful. I wonder how often I can make him smile like that? Oh well.

Looks like I found my own ambition.

The next few weeks went by surprisingly smoothly. Mornings, I showered and waited in my room for Quatre. He was always right on time, and we'd spend a few minutes talking before he'd simply rub his cheek against each of mine. He stuck with me between every single class, hardly ever leaving me alone. And usually, if he wasn't there, Duo, Hilde, Abdul, or Kitty, (or some combination thereof) was with me. The rare occasions I was about alone, most of Maia's group steered clear of me. Heero and Relena simply ignored me- which I suppose was a pretty good thing. Dorothy was the only one who ever came near me, but she behaved herself, so Quatre and I simply let her be. All the rest of Maia's little band- including Marimaia herself- stayed well away from me. I smiled at that. It was like I had my own 'bitch repelant' as Duo called it.

Sure, it was a bit odd to have someone rub their face against you every day... but hey, it beat the hell out of putting up with daily fights with Otto or Trant. Evenings, free periods, and off days were usually spent alone with Quatre- my new best friend pretty much, studying on his pet project.

For someone who wasn't a vampire, he sure knew alot about them. At first I found the story of Rashid the vampire and Aminet the were-lioness meerly a fairytale romance. But the more proof we began to discover to the myth, the more evidence that it wasn't myth but fact, the more interesting it became. By the time we hit the one month mark, I was almost as dedicated to uncovering as much as possible as he was.

From what we could tell, it was all true. The story of the two falling in love- though I don't think Quatre believes much in love. And the real reason he pursued it... the side-effects of this type of bonding.

Some of it I already knew was true. Years ago, when I was still a new-born vampire, Cathy had explained the myths and legends and facts and truths of our kind. Like the fact that we can go out into sunlight- but not for over a minute or two else we'll get a serious sunburn (Prolonged exposure will indeed cause us to turn to ash, though). Like the fact that crosses really don't hurt us; that was simply a myth. Holy water? Don't make me laugh. I doubt even the pope could bless water enough to hurt us. (Although it is kind of annoying for someone to throw water in your face- weather it hurts or not.) Silver, garlic. No and no. Well, no to the silver at least. Garlic is questionable. All vampires have a better sense of smell than humans, but not as good as that of a were. Garlic is pretty pungent, so imagine if you has the sense of smell of a animal. Not very pleasant, so most vampires and weres steer clear of garlic, peppers, onions, dirty socks, and lots of other smelly things. She also explained feeding habits, of course.

Few vampires feed from living humans nowdays. Most survive on the blood-bags, like from a hospital. A few, like Cathy, Wufei and I, survive solely on the blood of animals. The reason, she explained, was that in history, vampires always killed their victims. If a human victim wasn't killed, or changed, then a special bond formed. Almost empathic or telepathic in nature. A bond for life. That was the reason vampires stopped hunting humans centuries ago. Because they couldn't kill every single person they feed off of without drawing suspicion from the humans. And because they couldn't stand to have that connection, that weakness.

And it stands to reason that a were's mutated DNA would have some impact on that bond.

Quatre's theory of that was sound and solid.

Only, little did I know.... he wanted to make it more than just a theory. He wanted to test it.

TBC....

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Kandice: Muahahaha! Don't you just love cliffhangers?

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	5. Experiment

Kandice: Woohoo! We're ba-ack. Here is the next chapter in our thrilling story, Thicker Than Blood.

Kassidy: And our sincere thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Your reviews mean more to us than you can know.

Kandice: Hey. I'm supposed to be the sappy one.

Kassidy: Sorry, sis. Anyways... here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

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**Experiment **

"No." I said. Good God... was he insane? Well, yeah, a part of me answered. I already knew that Quatre, for all of his intelligence, was probably a little crazy. Hell... this entire school was. And I'm pretty sure I was, as well, because I hadn't decked him yet.

"But, Triton..."

"I said no," I snapped. He was as tenacious as a pit bull. And really... this entire scenario is a bit insane. Or ironic. Here I was... a relatively young vampire... arguing with my mortal enemy- a shape-shifter- who happened to be my best friend... about him wanting me to bit him.

I knew my sister was crazy for sending me to this damn school. Has the whole world gone mad?

"But why not?" he asked, staring at me across my dorm room.

"Because..." I paused. Not the best time for a brain black-out. But honestly... I couldn't come up with a single reason. There were several reasons, I knew, but the only ones I could think of was because a) he was my friend and drinking your friend's blood is just... wrong and b) I'd never drank from a human- er, relatively human anyway. And I could count on one hand the times I'd been forced to rely on bagged blood. I was, for lack of a better word, raised drinking animal blood.

Simply put... I was scared.

"Because it's not right," I said. Yes, I know how childish that just sounded. A triumphant gleam lit his eyes. Oh shit.

This isn't going to be good.

"No reasons, Triton?"

"Quatre... no." I put as much belief and sternness into my voice as I could. I don't think it worked. He grinned.

"Oh... I think 'yes'. So I think we should do this sooner rather than later. If we wait too long, it might interfere with semester finals, and I'd really like to pass all my tests, thank you very much. And I know how much I owe you for this. I never really expected to actually be able to do this experiment, you know? I mean, really, how many vampires would be in the same room with me, much less agree to talk to me?"

"Two," I deadpanned. That is if you count me and Sally.

He smiled brilliantly. Gods... for some reason, that smile is beautiful.

"Huh, you're right. Anyways... I'm thinking tonight, after classes. It's Friday, so if anything... adverse.... happens, we should be in the clear by the time class rolls around."

How could he sound so chipper when his words were steadily adding to my fears?

He hopped up and bounced across the room. (How do he and Duo seem to remain so happy all the time?) He leaned across my bed, performing our daily ritual. I've actually gotten kind of used to it. Hell. I think I might like it.

What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm the insane one.

He leaned back, grinning at me.

"Okay. Bye, Triton. See you tonight!"

And then... he was gone.

_~_

"So..." he drawled. "How do you want to do this?"

I blinked at him.

"It was your idea."

He blushed faintly. "But you're the vampire here. You know more about feeding and blood and stuff than I do."

"Hm. Blood is always stronger at pulse points." I pointed out my wrists, the vein on my neck. "And it's strongest closest to the heart." I tapped my neck again. "That's why all the myths have us going for the jugular," I grin.

He smiled, laughing softly, and began to unbutton his shirt. We were in his room- more privacy that way, since he didn't have to put up with a room-mate. "The neck it is then." He left his shirt halfway buttoned, but let it slide down his shoulders. "Does... does it hurt?"

He suddenly looked like a child, like someone very innocent, though I knew he wasn't either- not by any stretch. "I don't know from experience. I was near death, and the first time was when I was changed." I stepped cautiously closer. "But I've heard that it's supposedly quiet pleasurable. To keep the victims from panicking, I suppose."

"Oh," he breathed, deliberately glancing away from me. I could tell he was nervous. Hell, so was I. But I knew his will and his pride would not let him put a stop to this. And damnit... I didn't have it in me to fight him, even on this. As the last of the day's sunlight filtered into the room, I stepped in front of him, barely a hairsbreadth away. So close I could feel his breath. As gently as I could, I slowly lifted my hands to his face. I touched his skin, tilting his head just a bit to the left as I lower my own.

I pause, for just a moment, my lips barely brushing the soft skin of his neck, feeling the blood pulsing there. And then, I simply bit. I felt the warmth of his blood flood into my mouth, and I heard his quiet intake of breath, that little gasp.

Surprisingly, with that first taste, I was aware of three precise things. And none of them were what I expected. First, his skin is startling soft and smooth. It's as soft as satin, smooth as the alabaster it resembles. It's like warm butter, the way it gives under my fingers, my lips. Secondly, his scent is remarkably wonderful. With my nose pressed between skin and hair, it's almost overwhelming the sheer beauty of the smell. Like jasmine and honeysuckles underplayed with a poetic sort of soft musk, I think, though I had no idea how I knew that. I wondered briefly if maybe that's what I smelled like to others after he'd marked me.

And lastly... he was mine. He may mark me every day, but he was mine. Only mine. I didn't understand that voice chanting in my head, except that it said I was claiming him as my own in an even more important way than his 'scenting'. What exactly was happening, I didn't know. Weather those feelings were entirely from the fact that his blood was pulsing out into me, or from something entirely, I didn't know.

He moaned softly, his hands coming up to grip my arms. His heart pumped harder, trying to push blood to the area's being deprived, but it was all just pouring into me. As long moments, long heart-beats passed, his hands loosened just a bit.

"Tri...ton..." he breathed, but I felt it more than I heard it. A part of me knew that I was taking way too much blood. More than was needed. More than I should. A part of me knew I was hurting him. But his blood was sweet and warm. Like honey. Different than the blood from the bags, different from an animal's blood. Something like both, but entirely something else. Entirely something much better.

His body went limp, and my arms encircled his torso, pulling him roughly up against me, my mouth still attached to his pulse. A warm fuzziness and sharp clarity flashed through my mind at once- at the same time- and I felt the distinct impression that he would gladly die this way.

And that's when it hit me. I was about to kill my best friend. I let go abruptly, jerked back, as far as I could, until my back hit the wall. Quatre slumped, catching himself weakly on the bed. His blue-green eyes, when they opened, were glassy and misty. They looked at me, but I couldn't meet that gaze. I was afraid of the fear and hate I would see there.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked, breathless, a hand lightly touching the wet wound on his neck. He winced.

"Quatre... I almost killed you!"

"But you didn't," he retorted, sounding a bit more like himself. His eyes, when I finally gathered the courage to meet them, were clear and calm.

"No. Quatre... you are my best friend. I told you this was a bad idea."

He nodded. "It's not the smartest thing I've done," he conceded. "But thankfully for you... it's not the stupidest, either." He smirked a small smile.

"So... how long do we have to wait to see if anything happened?"

I shrug. Somehow, he has a way of making me forget things. Like how I almost killed him. I guess I should try to think on the positive side of things. His way of thinking.

I hadn't killed him- thank God.

And... we were potentially on the track of the greatest discovery of the supernatural world in centuries.

tbc....

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Kassidy: See? We managed to pull another rabbit out of the hat.

Kandice: Hm. If by rabbit, you mean chapter, and if by hat you mean the glorious expanses of our minds... then yeah. We pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Or maybe you were referring to plot bunnies. Or my collection of dust bunnies?

Kassidy: Oh. Shut up already, so our lovely reviewers can do their thing and leave more reviews for you to fawn over.

Kandice: Okay. Oh... wait a second! Can I insert a little ad for our other story?

Kassidy: Oh, you mean Frayed Edges? Sure. Why not. But make it quick.

Kandice: Right. So... if you like this, then try our other story. It's a 3x4- naturally- and it deals with more normal supernatural stuff. Like empathy and stuff.

Kassidy: Alright. That's good enough. Let's go get back to work on Frayed Edges.

Kandice: Yeah. Tootles!


	6. Results, Part One

Kandice: Another chapter, and really close to the last one, too. We're getting faster, eh?

Kassidy: No. This is just the first half of the next chapter. Remember, it was so long we had to cut it in half?

Kandice: We're still faster. Anyway, here it is.

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**Results, pt. 1**

That night was pretty usual after that, for the most part. I did feel a little lightheaded as I made my way back to my dorm room, but I chalked it up to shock. I mean, I had almost killed my best friend. By the time I went to bed, it had been hours with nothing out of the ordinary. I had mixed reactions about that. Half of me was relieved- and half was disappointed. I guess I was expecting fireworks or something.

Oh, well, I thought. We'll deal with it tomorrow.

And Saturday, we did deal with it. Quatre was acutely disappointed, despite the way he seemed to glow, as if he was extremely happy. And he wanted to do it again.

I protested.

But you can all guess how that turned out, eh? It seems I can't say 'no' to him. So Saturday night, we did a repeat performance- but with slightly less drama.

Instead of being easier to resist, the pull of his blood to me was actually stronger the second time, though I did manage to break away alot sooner than I did last time. I guess my will had gotten stronger, too. Or I'd just had a good dose of reality- and a reminder of what would happen if I got carried away again.

For the second time, I made my way back to my dorm fighting the lightheadedness. Now that was strange. Was it the fact that human blood was so rare for me? Was it the fact that he was a shape-shifter? Was it... something else entirely? I had no idea.

Sunday went the same as Saturday, since there were still no noticeable changes or... anything except for the lightheadedness that I mentioned to Quatre. He made a note of it, but still persisted. The lightheadedness that time was even worse, and I barely made it to my room before collapsing onto the bed, fully clothed. Duo looked at me with an odd look on his face, but he didn't say anything except to ask if I was okay.

I think I managed to grunt a 'fine' or something along that line. But then I was out like a light, with no idea of what was in store for me the next day.

_~_

The first thing that I noticed upon waking up Monday was that I was much more clear-headed than I usually was. It was no secret that I wasn't a morning person- unlike Duo and Quatre. But for some reason, I was up a little earlier and was surprisingly fresh-feeling unlike my usual groggy morning-self. Duo questioned this once, but I shrugged. This was surprising even to me.

Duo was just exiting our shared bathroom when Quatre arrived. Duo almost did a double take- it was quite amusing to see. But when I caught sight of why, I didn't feel like laughing. I felt like gaping in awe.

Now I'd noticed that Quatre was fair and 'pretty'. It wasn't hard to notice. But today he was glowingly radiant. His eyes sparkled with flecks of blue and green, and his skin looked clearer than a baby's. The slight flush gave his cheeks a rosy sort of glow. He was beautiful but with a life force in him that negated the whole 'baby doll' look.

His eyes narrowed at us. "What?" he demanded. "Do I have peanut butter on my nose?" He reached up, rubbing hands across his nose. "Toast on my teeth?"

"No," Duo breathed. "But, Q-man... you're hot!"

I nearly laughed at that. I would have, if not for the way I was trying to keep from qawking.

Quatre's head tilted. "Heh? Did you bump your head, Duo? Or did I? I think you just called me 'hot'."

"He did," I managed. "You are. Quatre... we need to talk."

After our activities that weekend, something this bizarre could not go un-checked.

"Oh... " His eyes widened. "Duo... would you mind scampering off for a bit?"

"Scamper?" Duo questioned with a roll of his eyes. "Man, you sound like Kitty. And that had better not be a kitten joke, Quatre, or so help me I will..."

"It wasn't a kitten joke, Duo. Now, please- leave."

Duo frowned, but left. And maybe I might need to mention that it hadn't been but a few hours since meeting him that I learned what animal Duo shifted into. He's rather sensitive over the fact that when transformed... he was a rather adorable long hair cat. A tiny, overly fluffy thing with large eyes, Duo was the epitome of cuteness in his feline form. His on-again-off-again girlfriend, the petite and pixie-like Hilde, was, by contrast, a cougar.

The wonders of the were's world never cease to amaze me. And also, I might also mention that where-as some were's were not secretive over their shifted forms, some were downright paranoid and defensive. Quatre and Heero are at the top of that second category. I'm not even sure Duo knew what Quatre was when transformed.

As soon as Duo closed the door, Quatre rounded on me, eyes bright and wide.

"Triton... do you think that this is a result of the experiment?"

I shrugged. "It's possible. I don't think we can ignore it. I mean, Quatre... you're actually glowing."

"I hadn't noticed. But I really do feel kinda light and happy and, well, alive."

I nod. That's pretty much how I'd been feeling all morning.

We both shared a look when it hit us.

It was actually working.

On some level, in some way... our experiment was working.

tbc....

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	7. Results, Part Two

Kandice: Whelp... here you go. The second part of that last chapter. And yay... we get to meet Wufei, it only for a moment.

Kassidy: And Treize, don't forget.

Kandice: Oh, who cares about him? Just read the story! Please!

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**Results, Part Two**

We were almost late for our first class because Quatre was ecstatic, nearly bouncing off the wall. I was practically having to hold him down. And it was because of that that I almost missed it.

The head of silky black hair at the back of the classroom, that is. When I finally noticed it, my mouth dropped open and Quatre, bouncing along, stumbled right into my back as I stopped still.

"Wufei?"

Black eyes looked up at me. To anyone else, that face would seem stoic and un-phased, but I could see unadulterated relief in those eyes.

"Triton."

"Wufei, I thought you would have been here a month ago. How the hell have you stayed away so long?"

He actually flushed a little.

"It took much negotiating with the headmistress. Did you know that it is against school policy for a student and a teacher to engage in sexual relations?"

"Oh..." My mouth formed an 'o'. That had never occurred to me. Most people frown upon teachers and students in relationships together. I'd simply assumed that it would be automatically allowed, since Wufei and Sally had been together for... well... a long time; longer than I've been alive- well, alive and undead put together. And Wufei was certainly alot older than any other student here.

Quatre bounced out from behind me.

"Hello!" he chirruped. "You know Triton?"

Wufei's eyebrow raised.

"Made friends with the locals?" he asked.

It's my turn to flush.

"Wufei, this is Quatre Winner. Qaut... this is my friend Chang Wufei. He's Miss Po's significant other."

"Oh."

I sat down in my seat, one up and over from Wufei and right behind Quatre. Duo somehow had ended up on the other side of the room; we don't know how.

"We can talk later," I tell Wufei.

Quatre turns around. "But don't forget about our plans," he says. I nod my understanding. That weird feeling still hadn't left, and Quatre was still fairly glowing. We were really going to have to research these side-effects. Really, we should have done that before we decided to go and try this all ourselves.

But, better late than never as Cathy always says.

The day had been going great, all things considered. After looking at Wufei's schedule, I discovered he had every class with me, except Sally's; he didn't have her at all. Talk about coincidences; I rather think someone did that on purpose. And it wasn't until half way through my third class- PE- that everything started to go downhill... and fast.

We'd been given a free period to just do like we wanted to. (Coach Quinze seemed to do alot of that, just not bothering to actually teach or anything. And like usual, Kitty and I were playing frisbee away from the others. Well away from the others. See, Kitty had an obsession with catching frisbees in her mouth. Yeah. Usually, I made sure she'd shifted into canine form first. (But sometimes I just like to have fun, and I don't remind her. An eighteen year old girl jumping in the air trying to bit a flying disc is pretty funny.)

I let the disc loose, and the pretty little lab at my side took of in a flash. Kitty really is beautiful in her lab form. Small for a retriever, but with thick and silky gold hair. She was fast and unbelievably agile.

This was prooved when she outran the disc and leaped gracefully into the air, snatching the disc. She landed, and trotted proudly back to me.

"Good girl, Kitty," I crooned sweetly, scratching her behind the ear. "Here, go fetch," I tossed the frisbee, but she just sat there for moment with a look that clearly said- "I am not a dog, idiot. You go fetch."

I laughed. "Just kidding, Kitty. But you gotta admit, if the shoe fits...."

She barked once, annoyed, and turned, presenting her rear with a flick of her tail. Huh, getting dissed by a dog is different. And funny.

That's when it really hit me, a sharp sting across my face. I dropped down to one knee beside Kitty with a gasp. Now that was different. It felt like I'd been slapped, but of course there was no one around me but Kitty.

I sat down, holding a hand to my face.

"Ow," I said. Kitty looked at me, then turned and ran off. A minute later she was back, dressed in her uniform, but with shoes in her hand.

"Triton? What the hell happened?"

"I have no idea," I replied truthfully. "I think something's happened to Quatre, though."

I had no idea how I knew that. It wasn't like telepathy or anything. Just that I knew something had happened. And considering how little we knew about what we'd been doing, it was a pretty easy to guess that this wasn't something to ignore.

Kitty looked at me oddly, then shrugged. "He's supposed to be at Mr. K's class, so that's enough for me. Let's go."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I have to give this to her. Whether in human form or canine form, whether happy or sad or worried... Kitty is peppy and bouncy.

It took us only a minute to sneak away from Coach Quinze's rather un-watchful eye, and about five more to reach Mr. Kushrenada's class. Mr. K was notorious for being a bad guy. He was arrogant and narcissistic, with a definite communist streak. The fact that that's where Quatre was was enough to have us worried.

We looked in, but Mr. K's class was devoid of teachers and Quatre. That's when Kitty motioned to me, pointing to the closed door of Mr. K's office just across the hall. There were voices inside.

"... tell me what you know. I know you've done something. What? Tell me!"

Mr. K's smooth voice was growling it was so angry and demanding.

"Bastard," Quatre said easily. "Go fuck your mother. Oh wait... I forgot. It was your wife's mother, wasn't it?"

I stumbled with the pain even as I pushed to door open to see Quatre's head tilt to the side with the slap.

"Stop," I snapped, tumbling into the room, a bristling Kitty right behind me.

"Stupid Leech. Get out of here before I have you expelled. Noventa had no reason bringing blood-suckers into this school."

"This stops here," I hissed, stalking forward. I grabbed Quatre's arm and pulled him out of the way as I stared down the older teacher. Toe to toe, eye to eye. He was barely taller than me, but he was more firmly built. And it was well known that Mr. K was a bonafied, honest-to-goodness werewolf. But somewhere along the way, adrenaline had mixed with some new invincible feeling inside me. And an unbearable urge to protect Quatre. He was mine damnit. Nobody touched him.

"This will stop. You will not even look at Quatre. You will never, ever lay a hand on him again, and you will never, ever call me a stupid leech. And Mistress Noventa deserves your respect for doing something brave and courageous that you lilly-livered spineless cowards would never do. She's got three times as much class as you, mutt."

"Why, you little..." He raised his hand, probably to slap me as he had slapped Quatre. But I saw it coming, and grabbed his wrist in mid swing, squeezing and pressing my index finger against his pulse, between the bones of his arm and digging my nail into the tender flesh and tendon.

"You will comply or I will make you leave this school."

"You can't do anything," he gritted out, trying not to buckle under the pain emanating from his wrist.

"Try me," I growl back, pushing just a little harder, and twisting his arm.

"Ah..." he gasped. "Let go. I won't bother the brat again."

I twist a little more, eliciting another gasp, before I let him go.

"But I will find out what I want to know... one way or another," he retorted as I turned to push Quatre out the door. I had to grab Kitty as well to keep her from attacking Mr. K.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" she asks sensibly as we walk away.

"Probably not," Quatre admitted. "At least not yet." He looked at me, blue-green eyes searching.

"And I'm assuming that you knew something was wrong. Care to explain?"

"After school. Right now... we all need to get back to class."

I couldn't wait until tonight, to disect all of this with Quatre- and maybe understand some of it. And somehow, I had the feeling that we hadn't seen the last of Mr. K.

Tbc

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Kandice: There you go! Interesting, eh?

Kassidy: Don't you have homework or something to do?

Kandice: Not anymore! I'm a free woman! No more high school! YAY!!!!!!

Kassidy: Oh, shut up already. Let's go work on Frayed Edges, since we have so much time.

Kandice: Yes, Majesty.

Kassidy: Smart alec....


End file.
